Seahawks’ Woolen aims to become NFL’s best cornerback

By Bob Condotta / The Seattle Times

RENTON — As the Seattle Seahawks cornerback formerly known as Tariq Woolen enters his second year in the NFL, he has a new name, a surgically repaired knee and a revised goal.

“I just want to prove to myself that I’m the best cornerback in the NFL,” said Woolen, who in the offseason began going by Riq.

As Woolen explained it, “All my friends call me Riq, and it’s just kind of cool. So I was like, ‘OK, say less.’”

But before Riq can add to the honors Tariq won last season — notably, becoming the first Seahawks defensive rookie named to the Pro Bowl since Lofa Tatupu in 2005 — he’ll have to get healthy.

Woolen took a big step when he was activated off the Physically Unable to Perform list Sunday after having had arthroscopic knee surgery in May.

That allowed Woolen to take part in walk-throughs, but he has yet to step between the lines for an afternoon practice. On Monday, he went through a strenuous on-field workout after the walk-through, then returned without pads to watch practice.

“I’m anxious but, at the same time, being patient,” he said. “I know when the time comes it’ll be time for me to be out there. So far I’ve been taking all the mental reps I can, and just doing whatever the coaching and training staff tell me to do. That way we can follow the plan where I can come back healthy and at the right time.”

Woolen said he suffered the injury during a drill in May.

“I was walking back after a play, and I felt a pop in my knee,” he said. “I looked down at my knee, and I saw something sticking out to the side; it was a piece of my meniscus sticking out to the side. I bent my knee a little bit, popped it back in and tried doing another play. After that play I fell back to the ground, and it was poking back out again.”

Woolen said he had to get two stitches to the pocket of his knee and some of the meniscus removed.

“Maybe it was a sign from God that I’ve got to slow down a little bit and get more into the playbook,” Woolen said.

But he vows to soon be fully back.

“I’m still working my way back to normal,” he said. “But I feel amazing. I feel like myself again. I’ve just been working on getting my leg stronger.”

The team’s cornerback depth, bolstered by the drafting in April of Devon Witherspoon in the first round, also allows for the team and Woolen to be patient.

With Woolen out, Michael Jackson and Tre Brown have been the starting outside corners, with Jackson playing on the right side that Woolen manned last year. Jackson started last season on the left. Witherspoon, who many expected would compete with Jackson on the left side to pair with Woolen on the right, has mostly been playing the nickel.

If some might have questioned if cornerback was the team’s biggest position of need when Witherspoon was selected with the fifth overall pick, Woolen said he’s glad to have a lot of other capable players around him.

“I’m happy to see them out there balling,” Woolen said, “because I feel like in this league, with this team, there shouldn’t be a drop-off even if I get hurt or not. And it shows today, and it’s been showing through camp that these guys have been doing a great job.”

The question that remains is how it all works out once Woolen comes back. Woolen will stay on the right side and coach Pete Carroll said, “He is a starter for us. He’s earned that.”

Does that mean Jackson and Brown compete on the other side? And does Witherspoon stay at nickel?

For now the Seahawks have been prepping Jackson to play the right side for apparently as long as Woolen is out.

But once Woolen returns he vows to set about achieving his goal of becoming the NFL’s best cornerback.

That’s a far cry from what he was trying to do a year ago this time, when he was a fifth-round pick from the University of Texas-San Antonio with only roughly two years of experience playing corner.

As Woolen noted Monday, “People didn’t think I could play in this league, or they would have thought I was a special-teams guy.”

Instead, thanks to injuries to others and the decision to play Coby Bryant at nickel, Woolen emerged as a Day 1 starter and played all but 22 snaps, tying for the NFL lead in interceptions with six.

But a few uncharacteristic struggles in a playoff loss to the 49ers, who took advantage of Seattle’s zones for a couple of big plays, also revealed that despite Woolen’s progress last season there is room to grow.

Woolen cited learning the playbook even more “and slowing the game down” as the way he can improve and reach his goal of being the NFL’s best corner.

He made a comparison with a former Seahawks player who became a mentor to him a year ago, Richard Sherman.

“I’m a fast person, but it’s a difference when you can save all your speed and just play with your mental abilities,” Woolen said. “And I feel like that’s what Sherm did. You know, Sherm wasn’t the fastest guy, but he knew football in and out. And I feel like that’s something that I want to do. Learn football in and out, that way when those plays do come, those interceptions do come, that’s the only time I want to run.”